Nickelodeon Doubles Order for Comedy Series

Nickelodeon has doubled its order for a spinoff series. The Hollywood Reporter’s Live Feed reports that the cable channel greenlighted 20 additional episodes of the "iCarly" and "Victorious" spinoff comedy "Sam & Cat."

The first season’s episode count will now be 40. The show, which stars Jennette McCurdy as Sam Puckett and Ariana Grande as Cat Valentine, had the network’s biggest live-action debut in three years, drawing 4.2 million viewers, the story says.

"Sam & Cat" debuted June 8, with the additional episode order coming after only four episode airings, the piece notes.

"The show has been so well-received, and competition is greater than ever these days. Making a hit show is even more challenging today than, say, 10 years ago," producer Dan Schneider told The Reporter. "It’s a little daunting to do 40 episodes in your first season, but what makes it fun is the success, because we’re all sharing in that."